Half Cents

Minted from 1792 to 1857, Half Cents are the smallest denomination of coins that have been minted by the U.S. Mint. While they may seem an insignificant amount today, the half cent was important when wages averaged $1 per 10-hour workday. During their circulation, half cents had more buying power than a dime does today, being equivalent to about 14 cents in today’s dollars.